I am starting to believe as I hear more and more about the budget problems here in California, that we are fooling ourselves into believing we have researched a way to properly fuel up the west coast economy.
With the budget impasse, the late payments, the lack of leadership, and an election year which is bringing out some old timers such as Jerry Brown, current Attorney General, who according to many media resources, claims to have answers to our problems.
Do we want to maybe try something new as AG Brown has not impressed many around the state in his current position, many are disappointed with his record in comparison to that of former AG, Bill Lockyer?
Tough on doctors who over prescribe medications to such people as Anna Nicole Smith and even a foray into Michael Jackson's overdose.
He has taken on big mortgage fraud cases, but in the end, he shrank away from investigating his own...
It's called Cal Mtg. out of the office of Statewide Healthcare Planning and Development, and they are an insurer and creditor for small hospitals and medical clinics around the state.
Cal Mtg. was created to help hospitals who have no credit to obtain monies for expansion projects and to try and guarantee healthcare services to small communities.
But in it's mission statement it's first priority is to "protect the fund." They MAKE money from these loans they issue, but once involved with Cal Mtg. these hospitals and healthcare districts are now without options if they cannot pay.
The second part of my thoughts today about the state, is the fact that Cal Mtg. is basically untouchable.
How could this be? I asked the DOJ if they, who are attacking "Fannie Mae" and "Freddie Mac" in a potential lawsuit if they would be able to investigate the "government bond" sales at a small hospital in the Kern River Valley which has left them flat broke.
No response of course as they are two offices with a savings account and with the stormy weather blowing money away faster than a child actor, they are keeping their monies safe.
This same request was made to the Governors office, as well as a request for help from Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver's website.
I must say Shriver's people were fully sympathetic with the situation in the valley surrounding Lake Isabella, but the last and final letter told the tale: "Good luck."
With this sort of lack of focus and ability to act quickly and effectively to problems as they arise, there is little hope that the government is going to be able to recover any time soon.
What is happening on the inside?
I know many people working in government jobs who are about at the end of their ropes.
Short staffing, meaning not allowing an adequate amount of employees needed to accomplish their jobs in a proper, legal, manner, is now a grave issue on the inside.
It's funny how they cut jobs from the bottom up. Do you think they could save more money and retain more employees by edging out middle managers and finding ways to both adequately accomplish their respective tasks while maintaining the most important people: the one's at the bottom.
When you call a government office about any issue, do you speak with the President, the Governor, Senators, or is it "Jane Doe" on the phone with you?
As is a pattern in corporate America, the small guy goes first. That's bad business anyway you look at it.
One last thought for the day regarding the marijuana issue being "considered" this year.
There is another cigarette tax on it's way to help create a black market as people will and always do find a way around these ridiculous taxes. Beat up some smokers and throw a tax at them; pretend there are savings in medical care; and go home and sleep at night.
Marijuana has a problem, it works medically for many people. That is a problem for the pharmaceutical industry, "Pharmerica," as it is safer, with less side effects, and has many uses, thus threatening their prescriptionopoloy.
We could be bringing in big tax dollars with "medical marijuana" but that is being fought. Why? For no other reason than it could effect the bottom line for many medications currently on the market.
Legalizing it is not the best way and it will NEVER pass.
Allowing a market for marijuana appropriately monitored for medical patients would bring in tax dollars and truly "cut costs on medical care." That's a problem?
Wake up California, I have many things to show you over the next two months as we move toward the November 2, election...your votes will make a difference so it's time to begin thinking before we cast our powerful opinions...
http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
First do no Harm: and do it quickly with good insurance: American Healthcare Reformation
Are doctors Hippocrates or I mean hypocrites?
In the last ten years I have been disabled due to a drug "only an antibiotic" without getting any sort of warning as to the fact that this medicine could cause "permanent damage."
Why didn't they at least give me a head's up or a fact sheet or a simple "watch out for this or that?"
My observations of doctors in the last ten years since this damage occurred, changing my whole life, and my future, was that our healers have no time to both make money and do their jobs...well.
Only a few words and a phone call would have changed my whole situation, but that is not the game of medicine is it?
My doctor was young, probably still had student loans to pay off, and a life to lead, and making sure I knew that the medicine I was being given had the potential to cause life changing damage, was probably last on the list.
The failure of medicine in my case was simple, a warning, a phone call, communication: all things that could be done simply and easily if the doctor was not overworked and stressed.
Statistics in medicine are common, one day one thing helps 30% of the people, the next it's off the market or part of a class action lawsuit.
When the federal government decided to change the playing field to allow pharmaceutical companies the use of television and media to promote medicines that could potentially harm you, they may have just have legalized drugs.
Pharmerica we are now being called by some throughout the world as we are owned and operated by companies which can correct mainly erectile problems, sleep disorders, foot fungus, high cholesterol, depression, but not without the side effects of say, "death" and "permanent damage."
We cannot stop this onslaught of prescription medicines as now they are tied to corporate America and keep many television and most especially magazines going with their big time advertising dollars.
With doctors allowed little more than ten minutes to see a patient and a prescription pad to salve the concerns of the patient, I think there should be more statistics.
For instance, when my injury to my inner ear occurred, did somebody run to the pharmaceutical company and add my name to the list of people injured by this particular medicine?
Did the new statistics regarding my reactions to medications get back to the companies who provide these chemicals?
So, when you open up that slip of paper from the pharmacy or manufacturer rest assured it's outdated and there is little in the way of new information being gathered.
One medicine I personally was given and warned about had a 5% rate that it could effect my endocrine system. Well, it did.
Just because the rate is low, doesn't mean it couldn't happen to you. Somebody had these reactions listed, so therefore, it's all about the odds.
In fact, I researched that medicine after my reaction and found that I was given the wrong statistic: it was 5% of men and 12.9% of women. Being a woman, my risk was greater, but my doctor did not point that out.
Again, what can a doctor do except play the game?
When our local community gathered for the healthcare reform "town hall" meeting, they had to be corrected as many of these people thought reforming healthcare would be more than simply fixing a system of reimbursement and insurance for all.
People were more concerned as to how they are treated by their doctor and the medications they are being given, then the issues of costs. I found that very interesting.
Shush, says the government to the people.
When President Obama decided to reformulate the system of healthcare he wanted it done and fast. He pushed at this thing as he knew after bailing out the needy CEO's on Wall Street, that his popularity would dim quickly.
It did. I mean his popularity hit the skids and we have some specter of a monstrous federal program that will probably hurt us all in the end. And it was pushed through without being finished.
By finished, I mean, they left the door open for lobbyists and strong arm robbers like Pharmerica, and closed it on the American people and their concerns.
It's not the doctors, it's the government, as usual.
I try to imagine the doctors I have had to see over the last decade of ill health in a situation where they could see maybe five to ten patients a day, taking their time to know the patient, allow for more options for treatment, consider all else before the prescription path: then pay them well.
I imagine the attitude would change dramatically as they would not be stressed out and overworked, thereby, making mistakes or not being able to treat those with disorders that are out of the ordinary.
If you gave me a prescription pad and I believed all the statistics provided by Pharmerica, along with having little time, I would probably do the same thing.
Two problems: the studies on these medicines are checked by who, the federal government, meaning they are done to bring "cures" to the market as quickly as possible. That's the first problem.
Second problem is that a doctor doesn't have the time or energy to "follow up" and therefore doesn't know exactly what sorts of problems these medications are causing.
People don't always complain or even come back after a bad experience, so where are these numbers?
Yes, America you should be concerned about what has happened to our medical community. Now we see that doctors have hit the path of politics creating their own ideas about what should be done here in the United States.
We are not Canada nor the UK, we are America. Not the greatest country in the world, but one where you find people who will upset the apple pie cart to get something done right.
Healthcare reform will be difficult due to the many factions who want their money out of this industry which really holds the economy together. Oh, yes, that's right, the industry of medicine, be it "over the counter" or "behind the counter" is big stuff and that is why the President did what he did to push past the bulwark of big medicine business to get something going.
However, one President or one person, has an uphill battle to defeat the parasites residing in medical care everywhere.
We keep hearing about the doctor shortage, yet we don't encourage this particular profession with enough focus.
Get rid of their student loans, if one wants to become a doctor, then give them all the time and money they need based on the individuals ability to complete the long task of educating themselves in this profession.
Nurses too. (Note: there are many programs for nurses who want to continue their education, but that is obviously a scattered promise, as hospitals and colleges have programs to help, but again, if we really see the problem, help needs to get here fast as the numbers are drooping.)
Give these hard working people their share so they can share their "real potential" as a healer with their respective communities. Allow them to focus on the task at hand, and not what or when the health insurance companies decide is best. And certainly keep them out of politics as this is where many have lost their compassion and morality.
With gridlock in government, it's unlikely you will see action, more talk for years to come. And with the President Obama plan, the only consideration seems to be cost and keeping certain factions happy.
What does it cost to lose the trust of the American people. I guess we will find out soon...
In the last ten years I have been disabled due to a drug "only an antibiotic" without getting any sort of warning as to the fact that this medicine could cause "permanent damage."
Why didn't they at least give me a head's up or a fact sheet or a simple "watch out for this or that?"
My observations of doctors in the last ten years since this damage occurred, changing my whole life, and my future, was that our healers have no time to both make money and do their jobs...well.
Only a few words and a phone call would have changed my whole situation, but that is not the game of medicine is it?
My doctor was young, probably still had student loans to pay off, and a life to lead, and making sure I knew that the medicine I was being given had the potential to cause life changing damage, was probably last on the list.
The failure of medicine in my case was simple, a warning, a phone call, communication: all things that could be done simply and easily if the doctor was not overworked and stressed.
Statistics in medicine are common, one day one thing helps 30% of the people, the next it's off the market or part of a class action lawsuit.
When the federal government decided to change the playing field to allow pharmaceutical companies the use of television and media to promote medicines that could potentially harm you, they may have just have legalized drugs.
Pharmerica we are now being called by some throughout the world as we are owned and operated by companies which can correct mainly erectile problems, sleep disorders, foot fungus, high cholesterol, depression, but not without the side effects of say, "death" and "permanent damage."
We cannot stop this onslaught of prescription medicines as now they are tied to corporate America and keep many television and most especially magazines going with their big time advertising dollars.
With doctors allowed little more than ten minutes to see a patient and a prescription pad to salve the concerns of the patient, I think there should be more statistics.
For instance, when my injury to my inner ear occurred, did somebody run to the pharmaceutical company and add my name to the list of people injured by this particular medicine?
Did the new statistics regarding my reactions to medications get back to the companies who provide these chemicals?
So, when you open up that slip of paper from the pharmacy or manufacturer rest assured it's outdated and there is little in the way of new information being gathered.
One medicine I personally was given and warned about had a 5% rate that it could effect my endocrine system. Well, it did.
Just because the rate is low, doesn't mean it couldn't happen to you. Somebody had these reactions listed, so therefore, it's all about the odds.
In fact, I researched that medicine after my reaction and found that I was given the wrong statistic: it was 5% of men and 12.9% of women. Being a woman, my risk was greater, but my doctor did not point that out.
Again, what can a doctor do except play the game?
When our local community gathered for the healthcare reform "town hall" meeting, they had to be corrected as many of these people thought reforming healthcare would be more than simply fixing a system of reimbursement and insurance for all.
People were more concerned as to how they are treated by their doctor and the medications they are being given, then the issues of costs. I found that very interesting.
Shush, says the government to the people.
When President Obama decided to reformulate the system of healthcare he wanted it done and fast. He pushed at this thing as he knew after bailing out the needy CEO's on Wall Street, that his popularity would dim quickly.
It did. I mean his popularity hit the skids and we have some specter of a monstrous federal program that will probably hurt us all in the end. And it was pushed through without being finished.
By finished, I mean, they left the door open for lobbyists and strong arm robbers like Pharmerica, and closed it on the American people and their concerns.
It's not the doctors, it's the government, as usual.
I try to imagine the doctors I have had to see over the last decade of ill health in a situation where they could see maybe five to ten patients a day, taking their time to know the patient, allow for more options for treatment, consider all else before the prescription path: then pay them well.
I imagine the attitude would change dramatically as they would not be stressed out and overworked, thereby, making mistakes or not being able to treat those with disorders that are out of the ordinary.
If you gave me a prescription pad and I believed all the statistics provided by Pharmerica, along with having little time, I would probably do the same thing.
Two problems: the studies on these medicines are checked by who, the federal government, meaning they are done to bring "cures" to the market as quickly as possible. That's the first problem.
Second problem is that a doctor doesn't have the time or energy to "follow up" and therefore doesn't know exactly what sorts of problems these medications are causing.
People don't always complain or even come back after a bad experience, so where are these numbers?
Yes, America you should be concerned about what has happened to our medical community. Now we see that doctors have hit the path of politics creating their own ideas about what should be done here in the United States.
We are not Canada nor the UK, we are America. Not the greatest country in the world, but one where you find people who will upset the apple pie cart to get something done right.
Healthcare reform will be difficult due to the many factions who want their money out of this industry which really holds the economy together. Oh, yes, that's right, the industry of medicine, be it "over the counter" or "behind the counter" is big stuff and that is why the President did what he did to push past the bulwark of big medicine business to get something going.
However, one President or one person, has an uphill battle to defeat the parasites residing in medical care everywhere.
We keep hearing about the doctor shortage, yet we don't encourage this particular profession with enough focus.
Get rid of their student loans, if one wants to become a doctor, then give them all the time and money they need based on the individuals ability to complete the long task of educating themselves in this profession.
Nurses too. (Note: there are many programs for nurses who want to continue their education, but that is obviously a scattered promise, as hospitals and colleges have programs to help, but again, if we really see the problem, help needs to get here fast as the numbers are drooping.)
Give these hard working people their share so they can share their "real potential" as a healer with their respective communities. Allow them to focus on the task at hand, and not what or when the health insurance companies decide is best. And certainly keep them out of politics as this is where many have lost their compassion and morality.
With gridlock in government, it's unlikely you will see action, more talk for years to come. And with the President Obama plan, the only consideration seems to be cost and keeping certain factions happy.
What does it cost to lose the trust of the American people. I guess we will find out soon...
Saturday, April 24, 2010
You're the employer of the government: be a better boss
May I have some coffee and the morning memos, thank you
It's not like you drive to Sacramento or Washington DC in the morning, prepped for a fight against, greed, overconsumption, pollution, and anything that stands in our way from providing education and compassionate health services for all.
What a wonder of a country we could be if we hired (voted in) the intelligent and fair employees into a system that rewards success and spends less time trying to make sure they spend the whole years allotted monies so that it will cost more next year.
Currently the government cannot save money and is spending it frivolously on amateurish and ignorant plans to run a failing government.
If the government fails it falls to the people.
Don't like that, then start thinking, reading and researching.
If you plan on having tea parties all around the country please take a history class so that you may have a perspective on why these sorts of protests took place.
I will be taking the time to show people not only how to protest, but how to get results. Of course, much to the dismay of political California, I will be demonstrating these gems for the politicians myself.
In other countries violence has supplanted the marching, sit in's, and civil war is the result.
We don't need another civil war and we don't need a war in the middle east either. Had that situation been handled years before by leaders who were not able to look to the future and forecast cloudy, misunderstood skies.
The history of American and European infestation into the Persian lands taking place in the last century with an assassination of a former Shah of Iran. He had to go because we needed to fuel up to get to Africa via Iran and Iraq. The next leader we put in power. You'll remember a religious leader showed up and was greeted with much enthusiasm, as they believed in religion over politics.
Funny, we have instituted a similar policy, just not the same religion, but religion has entered politics and war, if George W. was answering truly when he said the US was on a "crusade."
Let's take this opportunity with poverty and lack of opportunity, an antiquated educational system, right here in this country to focus on what is happening here.
I find it ironic that we are supposedly imposing an American Democracy on a nation where people still move a few goats around in the sandy areas of the vast deserts in the middle east.
When a country forgets it's educational system, it's doomed...eventually. How far can you fall behind before it's obvious in every way, especially the way the country is being run.
Now to my point, you are the boss of this government yet it is all about complaining.
When you have tired of yelling into the wind, start making phone calls, take your power as a voter, taxpayer, worker, drone, queen, and begin to lobby for you, your family, your community and your state.
Become a lobbyist by finding your representatives and sending them your ideas, the ideas of your group, and give them a direction their constituents want to go.
If you vote some in and do not tell them why you did, you may not get what you want.
It's another election year, and it's time to understand who you are in the scheme of America. Welcome to your job too...
Being the boss of a nation at war, broken financially, educationally falling behind the rest of the world, it's time to step up.
Violence is quite unnecessary unless you have a violent and entrenched government which is only representing certain, most likely, greedy interests.
There's no reason this whole world couldn't be well fed and aware of it's responsibility for keeping this planet alive and continuing to create. With China reconsidering it's one baby per family policy, you can expect a population explosion. The smog in China makes a huge impact on the environment, who is worried, raise your hand? It's not going to get better.
Geography as well as cultural respect, is something necessary in the big world we live in today. But keep your eyes on the prize here at home.
Our goals:
Breaking up the concentrations of power
Create a true list of what corporations actually own, and see what sort of measures we can take to save small business from being swallowed up.
The regulators in the bogus bail outs, did not even know how to find the accounting tricks and define them for the government officials so they could act and the American people could be kept informed. Keep your watchdogs trained or reap only confusion and animosity amongst the poor and the rich.
Find a simple way to supply healthcare without having to fill "every one's" pockets. It's not that hard and there are many ideas to support a low cost assistance plan, creating a larger insurance pool, allowing prices to drop. We don't think of the state of Oklahoma as being in the lead in much, except some football, but they have created an insurance pool so small businesses can provide health insurance.
Not a difficult thing to do. And it doesn't have to be done on the federal end only.
Growing food and food consumption. Stop the packaging nonsense. Stop shipping products across the nation when it can be distributed locally. Make it financially feasible to do so. Keep it local, really.
The food is making people fat and there are industries preying upon their insecurities and their health problems. If these corporations were not keeping out other food from the national grocery chains people would have choices. And tax incentives for growing our own foods, and growing for others, and spreading that knowledge.
Cigarettes, killing only, but created a huge market of drugs, patches, gums, and are multi billion dollar companies. Wouldn't it be terrible to find out if the tobacco industry created the remedy to the product they sell? If we ever get a grant to do a research project where we trace the evoluation of big business, actually bonded together in a convenant of greed, we could find out. A lot of work, but I would be willing to pitch in.
Alcohol and alcholism. I've seen many pictures on the news of the horrendous car crashes caused by people drunk out of their minds. Ethanol may be good for gasoline, but it's a very heavy street drug, accessible and powerful. It has no medical value, but it is a part of most every culture. We cannot write more laws, but we can minimize the accessibility and create more remedies to treat the alcoholics.
Birth control and abortion. If we had a society not threatened by sex and sexuality, we could be more open with our children about how to avoid pregnancy, STD's, years of staying in the closet fearing be rejected because of sexual preference (See Senator Roy Ashburn, his life could have been one of being himself, but he chose to hide and was openly homophobic. That's a sad story to end a career on. Not a good example of strength of character.), and the obvious that women are not the only ones who have birth control created for them.
Where's the male birth control, where they can have "control" of their own bodies? And why are there not a fair number of women running this country? Women should be the stronger voice. Black women showed themselves to be some of the strongest and most resilient people on earth. Raising children by yourself is not a sin, a crime, but a call to the community for help.
Yes, it's true, it does take a village to raise a child. And the villagers need to walk the example, show the courage to step up when things are wrong. No child needs to be beaten, berated, sexually used. But they do need encouragement, love, time and communication. And when they are accepted for who they are they become a force in society
Marijuana, could be used for clothes, paper, medicine, and an industry. But there would be corporations losing money so corporations are not lobbying for this or it would have happened by now. The individuals who have been healed by this herb, and the constitution written on Hemp paper, and the fabrics made from the fibers, and it's cheap.
We spend money policing it and jailing some who use it. What is that costing us? But then there are only a few lobbyists out there. NORML was one of the first to take the government to task on the issue, and they have made progress.
Then we need to shut down our war machine. Share the responsibility of "policing" the world with the "world."
As an evolved society we need to take care and utilize our seniors who have both experience and knowledge which is being overlooked. Caring for our elders should be a respectable occupation, not a cheap operation where nurses and caretakers receive little compensation for the compassionate work.
Taking care of those with Alzheimer's and other crippling diseases is difficult at best, so we should not start shooting the full of chemical restraints and find a way to pay a good respectable wage to those who are caring for the people who may have raised you, been your friend, your husband or wife.
And those who have suffered a disability must have the opportunity to serve the community, work for a decent wage, get help to get back into society not be pushed out, and to create a disability program which exemplifies those ideals. Anyone at anytime can have an accident, disease, some malady that changes their whole life. This has to be addressed in a progressive, compassionate and intelligent way. Just because someone is damaged, doesn't mean they are just no good anymore. You'd be surprised, they might just be better.
Each state decides what they want to do with drug addicts who are harming themselves. I really don't care if people want to hurt themselves by becoming addicts, but there would be a solid rule: if you want to be a junkie have fun, but you can never have children or care for anyone else's children. Real simple.
And finally, education is the most important thing we can do to induce continued progress on the part of the US in the world. We still have many natural resources, but the biggest resource is the people who can do many things given the right opportunities. Let's teach everyone to find their passion, their work, their labor of love, and then give them the tools to actually use what the Lord gave us.
But even there we must realize there are many cultures and differences, people are different, have different talents, so education is going to need a makeover so it understands we all learn differently, but we all learn.
Yeah, it's sad, but not hopeless. You're the boss is this how you want your country to run?
It's not like you drive to Sacramento or Washington DC in the morning, prepped for a fight against, greed, overconsumption, pollution, and anything that stands in our way from providing education and compassionate health services for all.
What a wonder of a country we could be if we hired (voted in) the intelligent and fair employees into a system that rewards success and spends less time trying to make sure they spend the whole years allotted monies so that it will cost more next year.
Currently the government cannot save money and is spending it frivolously on amateurish and ignorant plans to run a failing government.
If the government fails it falls to the people.
Don't like that, then start thinking, reading and researching.
If you plan on having tea parties all around the country please take a history class so that you may have a perspective on why these sorts of protests took place.
I will be taking the time to show people not only how to protest, but how to get results. Of course, much to the dismay of political California, I will be demonstrating these gems for the politicians myself.
In other countries violence has supplanted the marching, sit in's, and civil war is the result.
We don't need another civil war and we don't need a war in the middle east either. Had that situation been handled years before by leaders who were not able to look to the future and forecast cloudy, misunderstood skies.
The history of American and European infestation into the Persian lands taking place in the last century with an assassination of a former Shah of Iran. He had to go because we needed to fuel up to get to Africa via Iran and Iraq. The next leader we put in power. You'll remember a religious leader showed up and was greeted with much enthusiasm, as they believed in religion over politics.
Funny, we have instituted a similar policy, just not the same religion, but religion has entered politics and war, if George W. was answering truly when he said the US was on a "crusade."
Let's take this opportunity with poverty and lack of opportunity, an antiquated educational system, right here in this country to focus on what is happening here.
I find it ironic that we are supposedly imposing an American Democracy on a nation where people still move a few goats around in the sandy areas of the vast deserts in the middle east.
When a country forgets it's educational system, it's doomed...eventually. How far can you fall behind before it's obvious in every way, especially the way the country is being run.
Now to my point, you are the boss of this government yet it is all about complaining.
When you have tired of yelling into the wind, start making phone calls, take your power as a voter, taxpayer, worker, drone, queen, and begin to lobby for you, your family, your community and your state.
Become a lobbyist by finding your representatives and sending them your ideas, the ideas of your group, and give them a direction their constituents want to go.
If you vote some in and do not tell them why you did, you may not get what you want.
It's another election year, and it's time to understand who you are in the scheme of America. Welcome to your job too...
Being the boss of a nation at war, broken financially, educationally falling behind the rest of the world, it's time to step up.
Violence is quite unnecessary unless you have a violent and entrenched government which is only representing certain, most likely, greedy interests.
There's no reason this whole world couldn't be well fed and aware of it's responsibility for keeping this planet alive and continuing to create. With China reconsidering it's one baby per family policy, you can expect a population explosion. The smog in China makes a huge impact on the environment, who is worried, raise your hand? It's not going to get better.
Geography as well as cultural respect, is something necessary in the big world we live in today. But keep your eyes on the prize here at home.
Our goals:
Breaking up the concentrations of power
Create a true list of what corporations actually own, and see what sort of measures we can take to save small business from being swallowed up.
The regulators in the bogus bail outs, did not even know how to find the accounting tricks and define them for the government officials so they could act and the American people could be kept informed. Keep your watchdogs trained or reap only confusion and animosity amongst the poor and the rich.
Find a simple way to supply healthcare without having to fill "every one's" pockets. It's not that hard and there are many ideas to support a low cost assistance plan, creating a larger insurance pool, allowing prices to drop. We don't think of the state of Oklahoma as being in the lead in much, except some football, but they have created an insurance pool so small businesses can provide health insurance.
Not a difficult thing to do. And it doesn't have to be done on the federal end only.
Growing food and food consumption. Stop the packaging nonsense. Stop shipping products across the nation when it can be distributed locally. Make it financially feasible to do so. Keep it local, really.
The food is making people fat and there are industries preying upon their insecurities and their health problems. If these corporations were not keeping out other food from the national grocery chains people would have choices. And tax incentives for growing our own foods, and growing for others, and spreading that knowledge.
Cigarettes, killing only, but created a huge market of drugs, patches, gums, and are multi billion dollar companies. Wouldn't it be terrible to find out if the tobacco industry created the remedy to the product they sell? If we ever get a grant to do a research project where we trace the evoluation of big business, actually bonded together in a convenant of greed, we could find out. A lot of work, but I would be willing to pitch in.
Alcohol and alcholism. I've seen many pictures on the news of the horrendous car crashes caused by people drunk out of their minds. Ethanol may be good for gasoline, but it's a very heavy street drug, accessible and powerful. It has no medical value, but it is a part of most every culture. We cannot write more laws, but we can minimize the accessibility and create more remedies to treat the alcoholics.
Birth control and abortion. If we had a society not threatened by sex and sexuality, we could be more open with our children about how to avoid pregnancy, STD's, years of staying in the closet fearing be rejected because of sexual preference (See Senator Roy Ashburn, his life could have been one of being himself, but he chose to hide and was openly homophobic. That's a sad story to end a career on. Not a good example of strength of character.), and the obvious that women are not the only ones who have birth control created for them.
Where's the male birth control, where they can have "control" of their own bodies? And why are there not a fair number of women running this country? Women should be the stronger voice. Black women showed themselves to be some of the strongest and most resilient people on earth. Raising children by yourself is not a sin, a crime, but a call to the community for help.
Yes, it's true, it does take a village to raise a child. And the villagers need to walk the example, show the courage to step up when things are wrong. No child needs to be beaten, berated, sexually used. But they do need encouragement, love, time and communication. And when they are accepted for who they are they become a force in society
Marijuana, could be used for clothes, paper, medicine, and an industry. But there would be corporations losing money so corporations are not lobbying for this or it would have happened by now. The individuals who have been healed by this herb, and the constitution written on Hemp paper, and the fabrics made from the fibers, and it's cheap.
We spend money policing it and jailing some who use it. What is that costing us? But then there are only a few lobbyists out there. NORML was one of the first to take the government to task on the issue, and they have made progress.
Then we need to shut down our war machine. Share the responsibility of "policing" the world with the "world."
As an evolved society we need to take care and utilize our seniors who have both experience and knowledge which is being overlooked. Caring for our elders should be a respectable occupation, not a cheap operation where nurses and caretakers receive little compensation for the compassionate work.
Taking care of those with Alzheimer's and other crippling diseases is difficult at best, so we should not start shooting the full of chemical restraints and find a way to pay a good respectable wage to those who are caring for the people who may have raised you, been your friend, your husband or wife.
And those who have suffered a disability must have the opportunity to serve the community, work for a decent wage, get help to get back into society not be pushed out, and to create a disability program which exemplifies those ideals. Anyone at anytime can have an accident, disease, some malady that changes their whole life. This has to be addressed in a progressive, compassionate and intelligent way. Just because someone is damaged, doesn't mean they are just no good anymore. You'd be surprised, they might just be better.
Each state decides what they want to do with drug addicts who are harming themselves. I really don't care if people want to hurt themselves by becoming addicts, but there would be a solid rule: if you want to be a junkie have fun, but you can never have children or care for anyone else's children. Real simple.
And finally, education is the most important thing we can do to induce continued progress on the part of the US in the world. We still have many natural resources, but the biggest resource is the people who can do many things given the right opportunities. Let's teach everyone to find their passion, their work, their labor of love, and then give them the tools to actually use what the Lord gave us.
But even there we must realize there are many cultures and differences, people are different, have different talents, so education is going to need a makeover so it understands we all learn differently, but we all learn.
Yeah, it's sad, but not hopeless. You're the boss is this how you want your country to run?
Monday, April 5, 2010
Ken Mettler on Harvey Milk: Republican forerunner in 32nd Assembly district
"That Ken Mettler is on the phone again, Senator Ashburn, what do you want me to tell him?"
"Got Milk?"
It's the political season and it's time to put on our raincoats as we will be showered with parfum and cake for the coming months...well except for certain candidates who play a different sort of game: they are naughty.
Pictured here is Ken Mettler, the bad boy of this year's Kern County election.
Once a Kern Valley High School District board member who gave the public a good schooling on not to talk when he's giving a class on who is in charge, is not my kind of candidate.
Types like Mettler are elected only because of name recognition, not because they are endowed with wisdom and experience which will help them "serve" the public, but because the press can't get enough of them.
From the time he came out swinging at a private citizen after a meeting, to the article in the Bakersfield Californian today, which explains that Mr. Mettler, (whose hubris may make you think he's running for Governor and not just a local assembly seat) used funds from the Kern County Republican coffer to actually trace the heckler from the meeting, along with other somewhat scandalous operations.
Considering Ashburn just...
After a local Senator, Roy Ashburn, turned his station from country western to show tunes recently, it's odd that Mettler would come out so defensively about having a "Harvey Milk" day.
If it weren't for a recent movie, not many people would know who Harvey Milk was, and why some people want to celebrate his life.
Milk was shot and killed by someone who didn't agree with his politics but most especially that he was openly gay way before openly gay became a very rich demographic.
Ashburn spent years bashing gay agendas and then took that next leap from homophobia to "I'm too gay for my shirt."
With Mettler acting awfully homophobic and his politics or personal problems are sliding off the right wing, I'm afraid he may end up a candidate or even a winner in this assembly race.
Yes, Kern County is conservative, but it's not a haven for extremists, I think anyway. Or could I be wrong?
Republicans are not necessarily against abortion and they are not necessarily a member of a Christian church.
They are also just people who prefer a little less government and more or less continued privatization of the economic market.
However, when the press eats at the dish of an extremist just because that is all he has got to go with, they are helping to elect him.
Where's Jean Fuller? Does she have to chase someone out of a meeting and key their car to get a good story in the paper?
Would Fuller be more interesting if she recently checked out of the Betty ford Clinic?
Could we blame the press for these perverse curiosities? ABSOLUTELY!
Recently the media has become defensive and weepy, "the President doesn't want to talk to us" "we're victims" "we don't write fluff."
Oh yes they do. The media controls the elections right up to polling before everyone has voted. That is ridiculous.
If a television station or newspaper hasn't learned that you can elect idiots because they are "news worthy" (yeah, it's called news of the weird), then they don't know how "most" people vote.
Sarah Palin even has a chance...I say fire the media and the current politicians and let's start over.
And regarding Mettler, let's not talk about him anymore, let's get down to the real business of what we are going to do to set the course for success here in California.
He's not interested in what I have to say or people attending public meetings, so I say, there must be nothing to say about him.
Who is worthy of your vote?
I've listened to a few people this year who are running for one office or another. I found one candidate interesting, but only in a funny way. He wants to fix the government by doing something about the problem with gerrymandering.
Yes, there are districts which are drawn in a prejudice manner, to serve one party or the other, or to preserve power over an area, and it makes no sense in the real world, but that is how it has been done.
We could straighten out the problem rather quickly with a map, marker and calculator, but that would be too easy.
One candidate has an interesting solution to this problem: Split the state in half.
Okay. Now wouldn't that be gerrymandering too?
And this is why, we need to research before we vote...Stay with me, and we will find some good people to vote for in this election.
If you're 18 and over it's time to take responsibility for the people who work for you: Elections 2010.
"Got Milk?"
It's the political season and it's time to put on our raincoats as we will be showered with parfum and cake for the coming months...well except for certain candidates who play a different sort of game: they are naughty.
Pictured here is Ken Mettler, the bad boy of this year's Kern County election.
Once a Kern Valley High School District board member who gave the public a good schooling on not to talk when he's giving a class on who is in charge, is not my kind of candidate.
Types like Mettler are elected only because of name recognition, not because they are endowed with wisdom and experience which will help them "serve" the public, but because the press can't get enough of them.
From the time he came out swinging at a private citizen after a meeting, to the article in the Bakersfield Californian today, which explains that Mr. Mettler, (whose hubris may make you think he's running for Governor and not just a local assembly seat) used funds from the Kern County Republican coffer to actually trace the heckler from the meeting, along with other somewhat scandalous operations.
Considering Ashburn just...
After a local Senator, Roy Ashburn, turned his station from country western to show tunes recently, it's odd that Mettler would come out so defensively about having a "Harvey Milk" day.
If it weren't for a recent movie, not many people would know who Harvey Milk was, and why some people want to celebrate his life.
Milk was shot and killed by someone who didn't agree with his politics but most especially that he was openly gay way before openly gay became a very rich demographic.
Ashburn spent years bashing gay agendas and then took that next leap from homophobia to "I'm too gay for my shirt."
With Mettler acting awfully homophobic and his politics or personal problems are sliding off the right wing, I'm afraid he may end up a candidate or even a winner in this assembly race.
Yes, Kern County is conservative, but it's not a haven for extremists, I think anyway. Or could I be wrong?
Republicans are not necessarily against abortion and they are not necessarily a member of a Christian church.
They are also just people who prefer a little less government and more or less continued privatization of the economic market.
However, when the press eats at the dish of an extremist just because that is all he has got to go with, they are helping to elect him.
Where's Jean Fuller? Does she have to chase someone out of a meeting and key their car to get a good story in the paper?
Would Fuller be more interesting if she recently checked out of the Betty ford Clinic?
Could we blame the press for these perverse curiosities? ABSOLUTELY!
Recently the media has become defensive and weepy, "the President doesn't want to talk to us" "we're victims" "we don't write fluff."
Oh yes they do. The media controls the elections right up to polling before everyone has voted. That is ridiculous.
If a television station or newspaper hasn't learned that you can elect idiots because they are "news worthy" (yeah, it's called news of the weird), then they don't know how "most" people vote.
Sarah Palin even has a chance...I say fire the media and the current politicians and let's start over.
And regarding Mettler, let's not talk about him anymore, let's get down to the real business of what we are going to do to set the course for success here in California.
He's not interested in what I have to say or people attending public meetings, so I say, there must be nothing to say about him.
Who is worthy of your vote?
I've listened to a few people this year who are running for one office or another. I found one candidate interesting, but only in a funny way. He wants to fix the government by doing something about the problem with gerrymandering.
Yes, there are districts which are drawn in a prejudice manner, to serve one party or the other, or to preserve power over an area, and it makes no sense in the real world, but that is how it has been done.
We could straighten out the problem rather quickly with a map, marker and calculator, but that would be too easy.
One candidate has an interesting solution to this problem: Split the state in half.
Okay. Now wouldn't that be gerrymandering too?
And this is why, we need to research before we vote...Stay with me, and we will find some good people to vote for in this election.
If you're 18 and over it's time to take responsibility for the people who work for you: Elections 2010.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Senator Ashburn is not gay...what are you talking about?
Since I'm in the journalism field, I rarely read anything but my own stuff, but on the off chance a newspaper fell at my feet, I picked it up and saw a headline: Senator Roy Ashburn says "He's gay."
And I smoke marijuana because it's medicine. Whatever.
Where do these journalists get this stuff. We know the man was drinking that night, he was drunk when he said it.
I mean you don't spend your whole career bashing gays only to become one the year you're quitting. Do you?
He is quitting right? (Brett Farve?)
Anyway, then I run into a friend who is talking about this story, and I ask, "do you think Barney Frank is gay too?"
Whatever the look, it was frankly rude I thought.
Everyone knows Frank came out as gay just to get some of that gay demographic. He was one of the first campaign geniuses to use that fallacy to reform campaigning.
Now, if Frank, who looks more like a football player than a ballet dancer, can pull off this ruse than anyone can, and many have.
However, Mr. Ashburn, is somehow using this gay thing at the end of his career.
If these damn journalists would take their time to investigate that politicians rarely go gay at the end of their careers, there's no pay off.
It could be as simple as Ashburn forgot his glasses which you see him wearing in every picture, am I not right, and went into this bar, didn't read the sign, "ladies night, free ladies" hopped in his car with his free lady who turns out to be a man.
The cops give him a hard time. Could be some pyschological damage, now he thinks he's gay, yet, he forgot his glasses. I think it's typical, they call it something like, his name is, yeah, "gerrymandering."
What silliness. I apologize.
(let's not think there isn't another explanation. The gay underground got to him. That's another possibility. You know what I'm saying.)
Just a few warnings for politicians during election year: (might keep you safe)
Keep your hands to yourself
If you're feeling gay, wait until after the election, and keep your hands to yourself
Don't email anything sexual (unless you are a radio broadcaster like Rush Limbaugh) that can come back on you
Cell phones are a bad place to store your mistresses phone number, whether you're the husband or the wife
So, basically, no porn and popcorn, keep your hands to yourself, don't switch from gay to straight or vise verse until after the election. It's a cinch.
I'm pretty sure it's not that tough to handle this. If I were your campaign manager, that would certainly be my advice.
And to Mr. Ashburn: I guess now we know what your plans are after your political career is over? (I'm only assuming, he's been pretty quiet about that too)...okay...sorry.
And I smoke marijuana because it's medicine. Whatever.
Where do these journalists get this stuff. We know the man was drinking that night, he was drunk when he said it.
I mean you don't spend your whole career bashing gays only to become one the year you're quitting. Do you?
He is quitting right? (Brett Farve?)
Anyway, then I run into a friend who is talking about this story, and I ask, "do you think Barney Frank is gay too?"
Whatever the look, it was frankly rude I thought.
Everyone knows Frank came out as gay just to get some of that gay demographic. He was one of the first campaign geniuses to use that fallacy to reform campaigning.
Now, if Frank, who looks more like a football player than a ballet dancer, can pull off this ruse than anyone can, and many have.
However, Mr. Ashburn, is somehow using this gay thing at the end of his career.
If these damn journalists would take their time to investigate that politicians rarely go gay at the end of their careers, there's no pay off.
It could be as simple as Ashburn forgot his glasses which you see him wearing in every picture, am I not right, and went into this bar, didn't read the sign, "ladies night, free ladies" hopped in his car with his free lady who turns out to be a man.
The cops give him a hard time. Could be some pyschological damage, now he thinks he's gay, yet, he forgot his glasses. I think it's typical, they call it something like, his name is, yeah, "gerrymandering."
What silliness. I apologize.
(let's not think there isn't another explanation. The gay underground got to him. That's another possibility. You know what I'm saying.)
Just a few warnings for politicians during election year: (might keep you safe)
Keep your hands to yourself
If you're feeling gay, wait until after the election, and keep your hands to yourself
Don't email anything sexual (unless you are a radio broadcaster like Rush Limbaugh) that can come back on you
Cell phones are a bad place to store your mistresses phone number, whether you're the husband or the wife
So, basically, no porn and popcorn, keep your hands to yourself, don't switch from gay to straight or vise verse until after the election. It's a cinch.
I'm pretty sure it's not that tough to handle this. If I were your campaign manager, that would certainly be my advice.
And to Mr. Ashburn: I guess now we know what your plans are after your political career is over? (I'm only assuming, he's been pretty quiet about that too)...okay...sorry.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Links to election data for California
The next Statewide Primary Election is on June 8, 2010 and then the big day will probably be a chilly Nov. 2, 2010.
So, it's time to begin the studying, the research about who we are potentially going to be electing and how this person and their background, opinions, and goals for the future, will effect us all.
Here in Kern County we have some role changing as Assemblywoman, Jean Fuller, will be grabbing her suitcases and moving over to the Senator's seat, Roy Ashburn, who is terming out this year, to make a run for it.
But Fuller has some interesting opponents in her own party to defeat before she moves on to the democratic opposition.
Fuller has been visible and accessible to the people of the Kern River Valley, the home of the elder abuse case which rocked our rocks up here. Fuller has said in the past she supports all efforts to keep the hospital not only open and functioning, but growing services which fit the community.
If she were to be elected to Ashburn's seat, she would have the ability to bring even more leverage for the rural community that is lost amongst so many other, larger, prospects which contain bigger voting bases.
But the KRV is known as conservate central, but there is a diversity up here in the valley which would like to see change for reasons other than voting for one party or another.
The following links will give you the head start for elections upcoming.
http://elections.co.kern.ca.us/Elections/
And on the California Secretary of State website much information can be found which may help those needing to register or who are running for office.
The website lists the key dates for this year's election:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/
So, let's begin...
So, it's time to begin the studying, the research about who we are potentially going to be electing and how this person and their background, opinions, and goals for the future, will effect us all.
Here in Kern County we have some role changing as Assemblywoman, Jean Fuller, will be grabbing her suitcases and moving over to the Senator's seat, Roy Ashburn, who is terming out this year, to make a run for it.
But Fuller has some interesting opponents in her own party to defeat before she moves on to the democratic opposition.
Fuller has been visible and accessible to the people of the Kern River Valley, the home of the elder abuse case which rocked our rocks up here. Fuller has said in the past she supports all efforts to keep the hospital not only open and functioning, but growing services which fit the community.
If she were to be elected to Ashburn's seat, she would have the ability to bring even more leverage for the rural community that is lost amongst so many other, larger, prospects which contain bigger voting bases.
But the KRV is known as conservate central, but there is a diversity up here in the valley which would like to see change for reasons other than voting for one party or another.
The following links will give you the head start for elections upcoming.
http://elections.co.kern.ca.us/Elections/
And on the California Secretary of State website much information can be found which may help those needing to register or who are running for office.
The website lists the key dates for this year's election:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/
So, let's begin...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
don't get disabled or fired because there is no net for you out there right now...
It's not the like the government has ever known what to do with the hundreds of thousands of disabled people throughout our country from children born with organs outside their skin, in need of transplants.
Then there's the high rev lifestyle where exciting adventures on dirt bikes, or setting sail on the high seas, leaping off cliffs attached to rubber bands, which lead to potential accidents which have paralyzed and or maimed millions, taking away their independence.
Yes, it would be exciting to think we could have healthcare reform which worked like this: anyone experiencing a broken back, would automatically be given the genetic makeover required to heal it, though costing an arm and a leg (bad joke, but probably true) if we don't deal with the real problems, divvying up the pile of dough for all.
Obviously hypothetical, but that future is so close, that it will be a consideration in the near future. That's called looking ahead and planning, a simple sort of concept.
The players: the insurance companies, John Garamendi knows them as do others here in California.
I could add some personal anecdotes but I will save them for when we discuss this issue with the insurance companies themselves.
That's an easy one.
Pharma, is about as entracted as the tobacco industry, aren't they related?
Whatever your situation, healthcare can "easily" be reformed and nobody would be severely limited or put unfairly out of business. If it has the goal of not just saving lives, but making people healthy so they can work, go to school and contribute, then yes, that's an easy answer.
But what are the complications? Oh boy, that's where it gets fun. We will get there soon.
Then there's the high rev lifestyle where exciting adventures on dirt bikes, or setting sail on the high seas, leaping off cliffs attached to rubber bands, which lead to potential accidents which have paralyzed and or maimed millions, taking away their independence.
Yes, it would be exciting to think we could have healthcare reform which worked like this: anyone experiencing a broken back, would automatically be given the genetic makeover required to heal it, though costing an arm and a leg (bad joke, but probably true) if we don't deal with the real problems, divvying up the pile of dough for all.
Obviously hypothetical, but that future is so close, that it will be a consideration in the near future. That's called looking ahead and planning, a simple sort of concept.
The players: the insurance companies, John Garamendi knows them as do others here in California.
I could add some personal anecdotes but I will save them for when we discuss this issue with the insurance companies themselves.
That's an easy one.
Pharma, is about as entracted as the tobacco industry, aren't they related?
Whatever your situation, healthcare can "easily" be reformed and nobody would be severely limited or put unfairly out of business. If it has the goal of not just saving lives, but making people healthy so they can work, go to school and contribute, then yes, that's an easy answer.
But what are the complications? Oh boy, that's where it gets fun. We will get there soon.
Election year is here are we all excited?
"It's the worst economy since the depression," a teenager told me the other day, as he rummaged through his jean pockets trying to find a few extra coins so he could be a value hamburger off the menu meal.
"You know that food will kill you eventually," I kidded him.
He said, "I know, but you tell me what else I can eat with a buck?"
Yeah, that's definitely a problem.
Somebody across from me at the gas pumps told me she had filled the tank twice in one week, and was speculating that the owners of the gas stations are diluting the fuel to make more money.
Yes, there is so much confusion, not just with our legislature and every agency in the land, but with the kids who inherit this great big boondoogle.
It's not just the children either, grandparents are taking life hard as social security was burned up in war and political misappropriation.
Confusion and fear
Nobody knows if their house they may have worked all their life to buy and pay off will be worth anything once they retire.
"Oh it can't last that long," somebody of a different ilk explained to me the other day.
"Why not," I asked?
She didn't have a response, and her uncertainty made me realize people are just trying to make themselves feel better as they watch the disaster around them.
Life has changed, the government can't keep up, the information is too much for the average person trying to raise a family, and family means something different too.
I told somebody that I had three mothers and three fathers, and a father I didn't know.
How could that be? It sounds like a trick question, but we have not evolved in our awareness that great change took place and we missed it.
I was adopted at 6 weeks old by my mother and father as I knew them. They stayed married until I was ten, then both remarried, giving me an extra mother and father.
When I turned 18 I had to know my roots so I quickly found my biological mother who gave birth to me.
Now, I had three mothers, two fathers. Yes, you figured it, my natural mother got remarried, so there is the final father.
But if you were to say this thirty or forty years ago, you would have been blashphemous or deluded.
Families have changed and we need to change with the families. We could start with getting the male "birth control" on the market allowing men to feel more in control over their bodies.
With men, fathers, in jail, not paying support or not being able to pay support, the dynamic must change.
As women we have made it pretty clear what we want in the way of control of our bodies, our children, and the more we bring women into the chambers once only seating men, white men with property, we see a profound change in our culture.
The influence of women in society
The movements we saw last century, those without property or power were nothing but forced to act or be run over by a patriarchal system using religious materials as justification in many cases.
Now, we see many more women who are making choices their forebearers would not have done.
Graveyards are full of women who died in childbirth, there were no pink ribbons back then, and the rule of thumb was to keep the father alive so he could work the land, fight the wars, and tame the country, all along in battle; never in harmony.
Now women are still recieving hysterectomies in great numbers all in the name of cancer and the relief of night sweats. Men may have only recently discovered that they have a high cancer risk in prostrate cancer, but that is not as significant as the breast, ovarian, and cysts which have been the reasons for taking out what doesn't need to be there?
Our country needs women, women in charge. They need the experience a woman provides in knowing children, food, and a sense of being part of creation.
The founding mothers
This years elections are going to bring about much change, and certainly we will see that sort of push in Washington, other than to cram a horse pill sized healthcare reform pill or bill down our throats.
It's time to think, and we will try and bring as much good, provocative and thoughtful information as we can to make our voting choices, just that choices.
We will be sold many reasons as to why tax increases will be fired at us like shrapnel, and we need to be prepared to understand where we can actually help, and where the responsibility falls in lack of oversight by people in their respective communities.
It's time to pull together, but I must say I see people are pulling apart. Fear our favorite friend.
What fear is not is a motivator, so parent's it's not always necessary to frighten to teach.
What counteracts fear is education. Educate yourselves, there are many incredibly intelligent, funny, daring and determined sites out here in the land of the internet and still hiding out in our newspapers.
And I will be adding posts where you can link up with newsletters which let you know what is going on. It's going to be some year, a defining year, as to how we handle it.
Were we unprepared for this? No bottled water and canned goods?
Yes, we didn't see this coming a long way off...
"You know that food will kill you eventually," I kidded him.
He said, "I know, but you tell me what else I can eat with a buck?"
Yeah, that's definitely a problem.
Somebody across from me at the gas pumps told me she had filled the tank twice in one week, and was speculating that the owners of the gas stations are diluting the fuel to make more money.
Yes, there is so much confusion, not just with our legislature and every agency in the land, but with the kids who inherit this great big boondoogle.
It's not just the children either, grandparents are taking life hard as social security was burned up in war and political misappropriation.
Confusion and fear
Nobody knows if their house they may have worked all their life to buy and pay off will be worth anything once they retire.
"Oh it can't last that long," somebody of a different ilk explained to me the other day.
"Why not," I asked?
She didn't have a response, and her uncertainty made me realize people are just trying to make themselves feel better as they watch the disaster around them.
Life has changed, the government can't keep up, the information is too much for the average person trying to raise a family, and family means something different too.
I told somebody that I had three mothers and three fathers, and a father I didn't know.
How could that be? It sounds like a trick question, but we have not evolved in our awareness that great change took place and we missed it.
I was adopted at 6 weeks old by my mother and father as I knew them. They stayed married until I was ten, then both remarried, giving me an extra mother and father.
When I turned 18 I had to know my roots so I quickly found my biological mother who gave birth to me.
Now, I had three mothers, two fathers. Yes, you figured it, my natural mother got remarried, so there is the final father.
But if you were to say this thirty or forty years ago, you would have been blashphemous or deluded.
Families have changed and we need to change with the families. We could start with getting the male "birth control" on the market allowing men to feel more in control over their bodies.
With men, fathers, in jail, not paying support or not being able to pay support, the dynamic must change.
As women we have made it pretty clear what we want in the way of control of our bodies, our children, and the more we bring women into the chambers once only seating men, white men with property, we see a profound change in our culture.
The influence of women in society
The movements we saw last century, those without property or power were nothing but forced to act or be run over by a patriarchal system using religious materials as justification in many cases.
Now, we see many more women who are making choices their forebearers would not have done.
Graveyards are full of women who died in childbirth, there were no pink ribbons back then, and the rule of thumb was to keep the father alive so he could work the land, fight the wars, and tame the country, all along in battle; never in harmony.
Now women are still recieving hysterectomies in great numbers all in the name of cancer and the relief of night sweats. Men may have only recently discovered that they have a high cancer risk in prostrate cancer, but that is not as significant as the breast, ovarian, and cysts which have been the reasons for taking out what doesn't need to be there?
Our country needs women, women in charge. They need the experience a woman provides in knowing children, food, and a sense of being part of creation.
The founding mothers
This years elections are going to bring about much change, and certainly we will see that sort of push in Washington, other than to cram a horse pill sized healthcare reform pill or bill down our throats.
It's time to think, and we will try and bring as much good, provocative and thoughtful information as we can to make our voting choices, just that choices.
We will be sold many reasons as to why tax increases will be fired at us like shrapnel, and we need to be prepared to understand where we can actually help, and where the responsibility falls in lack of oversight by people in their respective communities.
It's time to pull together, but I must say I see people are pulling apart. Fear our favorite friend.
What fear is not is a motivator, so parent's it's not always necessary to frighten to teach.
What counteracts fear is education. Educate yourselves, there are many incredibly intelligent, funny, daring and determined sites out here in the land of the internet and still hiding out in our newspapers.
And I will be adding posts where you can link up with newsletters which let you know what is going on. It's going to be some year, a defining year, as to how we handle it.
Were we unprepared for this? No bottled water and canned goods?
Yes, we didn't see this coming a long way off...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)